By Gabriel Ameh
The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen security around schools nationwide, as the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, paid an official visit to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Headquarters in Abuja.
The visit, held at the Corps’ headquarters along Umar Yar’Adua Road, is part of renewed moves to overhaul the Safe Schools Initiative and tighten protective measures against school kidnappings and abductions.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Dr. Alausa said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that Nigerian children must learn in safe and secure environments that reflect public confidence in the government’s ability to protect them.
Describing young Nigerians as “the heartbeat of the nation,” the Minister stressed that securing schools is fundamental to the country’s human capital development.
He disclosed that the NSCDC has already established control centres at national, state, and local government levels, supported by community vanguards, to create a coordinated security structure around schools.
According to him, further engagements between the Ministry and the Corps will focus on fully “re-engineering” the Safe Schools Initiative to enhance coordination and effectiveness nationwide.
Responding to concerns about the perceived silence around school security operations, Dr. Alausa noted that “lack of noise does not mean lack of action.”
He revealed that about 8,000 schools have so far been onboarded onto the National School Safety platform, with plans underway to migrate all 146,000 public and private schools across the country onto the system.
As part of efforts to improve emergency communication, the Minister said the existing toll-free emergency line would be converted into an eight-digit number for easier accessibility.
He also disclosed plans to work closely with state governors to ensure alignment, establish command centres at state and local government levels, and deploy a more responsive alert framework.
In addition, schools across the country will be equipped with panic buttons designed to transmit instant alerts to local government control centres for rapid response by security personnel.
While acknowledging funding constraints, Dr. Alausa expressed confidence that the foundational structures are already in place and only require proper coordination and support to function optimally.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ending school kidnappings and ensuring that learning environments across Nigeria remain safe for children.
